Is It Too Early To Scout Deer ?

[seansfire]

i am a very new bowhunter and i also have an even newer fiancee that will be out there with me this year. wondering if it is too early yet to get out there and try to find a deer spot for this fall ?

also being new i hear alot of info and have read alot as well on the subject of finding them with little sucess. do you guys recommend glassing the clearcuts and then stalking up for a shot or find a good trail somewhere and sit on it?

we will be hunting blacktails and bears if one comes by on the westside primarily around kitsap / mason units.

[h20hunter]

If you have a young lady in your life that is interested then there is no bad time. Get out there and hike around, scout, look for old rubs, learn the lay of the land. Blacktails are more ghost than deer. I don't think you are going to pattern them the same way you would a whitetail or mulie. I say take advantage of the interest and get on out there. The sooner you start the more you learn the better your chances of success are.

[Holg3107]

Sounds like an opportunity to do some shed hunting / scouting to me! its never too early to go for a hike and learn the lay of the land.

[bobcat]

Right now is the best time, at least if you're scouting for blacktails. Get out there before the leaves come on the trees and the grass starts growing up. It's a lot easier to see the deer trails, and to see the terrain as you walk through the woods.

You may not see a lot of deer right now but you will see sign, and blacktails don't move very far from spring to fall.

If you want to see bucks, the best time is July and August.

[Instinct]

Shed hunt, learn the terrain, mark possible ambush spots in ur gps, then really hit the field to find the animals july august time before the season opens.

[Button Nubbs]

Imo its never too early. The more you see them the better understanding of their habits you will have.

[kentrek]

great info above,i would also add that you need to put zero pressure on the deer your trying to scout.once you found them try to only observe/find trails from a spotting scope.

[seansfire]

we will be hunting/scouting in kitsap mainly around the tiger lake / bear creek dewatto road area as that is all i know even a little bit about. is that an area even worth putting time into ? i know there are lots of hunters in the area.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Right now is a great time to scout!

[huntnnw]

look for old scrapes and rubs as they are highly visible this time of year and leaves you clues as to what the bucks in the area were doing last year during the rut..they will do it again this coming year.. popular scrape and rub lines will be used for years

[seansfire]

what would you recommend as a good area to look in. ravines , clearcuts or edges of , or thickly wooded areas ? i have walked in behind  about every gate there is on bear creek dewatto and tiger mission roads and was always just wandering hoping to see some animals with absolutely no luck most times. when i did see something it was usally running away way before i knew it was there. LOL.

i really appreciate all you folks taking the time to post on here for me. any help is greatly appreciated.

[buckfvr]

If you go mushroom picking, ( morrells ), and dont think about deer, my guess is you will run into deer....spend time in the woods and pay attention to everything.....its a puzzle with a million pieces.

[kentrek]

i would find an area that can be glassed,that way you usually wont bust em from there homes,these deer can live with in the same square mile there hole life if undisturbed(pretty much the only advantage we have). typically i look for spots i can look down onto because its easier to see the deer in the thicker stuff.it seems like there further from a road you can get the better. open areas within jackfers can be deer havens.also learn the deers movements of the area,sometimes all the bucks will be out of a feeding area by 730am on the dot and other areas they will lay down and take a nap for most of the day.it helps to keep a journal. the more you scout(with out spooking the deer) the better off youl be. binos and a spotter are some of the most important pieces of gear to try an wear out. im convinced there is a 4-8 year old buck living in every canyon,you just got find him.

gooood luck 

[Instinct]

Ide check for ravines in the day time and clear cuts early morning/late day

[seansfire]

thanks for all the great tips guys. we will hopefully be headed out 1st part of next week. read a thread on here about shed hunting and think we might give it a shot as well. i live right near a huge piece of land that they dont allow hunting on so who knows what we might find.